Opposition should stop making statements until report comes”: Shahnawaz Hussain condemns Delhi blastents until a report comes.”
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national spokesperson Syed Shahnawaz Hussain on Tuesday condemned the Delhi’s Red Fort blast that killed at least eight and injured several, and called it “deeply saddening” and urged the Opposition to refrain from making early statements until an official report is released. Hussain said, “The incident near Red Fort in Delhi is deeply saddening. All those involved in this will not be spared. Police and security agencies are investigating all angles. The Home Minister has visited the spot, and the injured are being taken care of. All efforts are being made to find out the reason behind this.” He further urged political parties to exercise restraint, saying, “The Opposition should stop making statements until a report comes.” Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday chaired a high-level security review meeting at his residence to assess the situation following the deadly blast in Delhi that killed eight people and injured several others on Monday evening. The meeting was attended by Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, Director of the Intelligence Bureau Tapan Deka, Director General of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Sadanand Vasant Date, and Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golchha. Jammu and Kashmir DGP Nalin Prabhat joined the meeting virtually. Sources said the review focused on the progress of the investigation into the explosion that occurred around 7 pm on Monday near the Red Fort metro station, as well as on a possible link with the recent seizure of a huge cache of explosives from Faridabad. Following the explosion, Shah directed a multi-agency investigation involving the NIA, National Security Guard (NSG), Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), and Delhi Police to determine the cause, nature, and source of the explosives. A team from the FSL and the NIA revisited the blast site on Tuesday morning to collect additional forensic evidence. The NIA is currently assisting the Delhi Police in the investigation. Officials suspect the Delhi blast and the Faridabad recovery may be part of a larger terror network operating across state lines.
Actor and BJP Politician Joy Banerjee Dies at 61
Popular Bengali actor and politician Joy Banerjee has died at the age of 61 in Kolkata. Banerjee passed away on Monday morning at 11:30am at a private hospital off the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass, where he had been undergoing treatment for severe respiratory illness. Hospital sources confirmed he had been battling chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and was placed on ventilation on 17 August, following his admission two days earlier. Born in 1963, Banerjee was drawn to cinema from an early age. He made his acting debut opposite actress Debashree Roy, but it was filmmaker Anjan Choudhury’s 1990s hit Hirak Jayanti that established him as a household name. His on-screen pairing with actress Chumki Choudhury became immensely popular with audiences, though their off-screen relationship eventually ended. Banerjee’s personal life often made headlines. He first married actress and Trinamool Congress councillor Ananya Banerjee, but the relationship did not last. Later, he married Ankita Banerjee, who survives him, along with his mother. By the late 1990s, Banerjee gradually stepped away from cinema and turned to politics. He joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and contested the Lok Sabha elections from Birbhum in 2014 and Uluberia in 2019, though he was unsuccessful in both attempts. He rose to become a member of the BJP’s state committee in West Bengal, where his star power was seen as an asset during campaigns. However, in November 2021, Banerjee publicly announced that he was stepping away from active politics and would no longer represent the BJP. Despite his departure from both cinema and frontline politics in recent years, Banerjee remained a recognisable public figure in Bengal, remembered as much for his screen charisma as for his controversial political journey. News of his death has sparked tributes from both the Bengali film fraternity and political colleagues, many recalling his contributions to the silver screen and his attempt to bridge cinema and public service. Banerjee is survived by his wife, Ankita Banerjee, and his mother.
